The Strand Study Bible

REVELATION

2162

Written From the Island of Patmos

1. the nation of Israel (Exo 3:1-14), i.e., the woman which brought forth the MESSIAH CHILD (vs 2-5) 2. the Jewish/Gentile Church ( and the moon under her feet ) (Acts 1:1-8 and Mt 28:18-20) If the sun depicts the SONOF GOD (and it does – Gen 1: 14- 18 ), then the moon must depict Christians, for the moon reflects the sun in the same manner that Christians are to reflect Christ (Mt 5:14-16). Both the nation of Israel ( woman ) and the Jewish/Gentile Church ( the moon under her feet ) were given to us by CHRIST Himself. 12:4 During his rebellion (Isa 14:12-15), Satan influenced one-third of the angelic race to follow him ( And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven ). The Pulpit Commentary notes: In describing the vast power of the devil, St. John seems to allude to the tremendous result of his rebellious conduct in heaven, in effecting the fall of other angels with himself (Jude 6). 1 John R. Rice in Revelation notes: According to Hebrews 12:22 , the angelic race is an innumerable company of angels. One-third of an immeasurable host is a "lot" of fallen angels. Is it no wonder the earth is in constant peril? With that many demons running around there is sure to be much confusion, torment, and questions as to what is happening on earth. 12:9 According to Revelation 12:7-9, Lk 10:18, Isaiah 14:12 and John 12:31, the "Great Dragon" (Satan) will deliberately attack Heaven during the middle of the seven-year Tribulation Period. Once defeated, he will be cast out into the earth where he will unleash his fury upon both Israel and earth's inhabitants ( Rev 12:12 ). 12:11 This word ( overcame ) is used to describe two kinds of “overcoming”: 1. The salvation of an unbeliever ( And they overcame him by the blood of the LAMB ) ( I Jn 5:4-5 ) 2. The sanctification of a believer ( and by the word of their testimony ) ( Rev 2:7 ) Every believer is to conquer , to prevail , to get the victory , and to be set apart (sanctified) from three evils: (1) the Devil (I Jn 2:13-14); (2) the world (Jn 16:33 and Rev 2:21 & 2:7,11,17,26 & 3:5,12); and (3) the flesh (Rom 12:21). 12:12 Man isn’t the only one rejoicing here at the defeat of Satan. Notice the word “ ye .” “ Ye ” includes all of God’s creations throughout His heavens, which includes the angels, whose universe fell into chaos after Lucifer’s rebellion (Isa 14:12-15, Ezk 28:11-19 and Gen 1:1b , d and Gen 1:2a , b , c ). Like the sin of mankind, which brought about a devastating curse upon the entire human race (Gen 3:16-17 and Rev 22:3), the angels who sinned (Ezk 28:15 and II Pet 2:4), long before man was ever created, brought about a curse upon the angelic universe. Because of sin, their world (just like ours) has been in turmoil and disarray ever since. Those angels who stayed with God and didn’t sin, however, would like their universe back the way it was. Thus, the real purpose for the existence of the human race was to assist God in His endeavor to restore order back to His universe. Man was not created to become some kind of guinea pig, with some kind of experiment in mind, but was created with the sole purpose of becoming a co-laborer with God in His plan to re-establish the cosmos. All God needed fromman was his willingness to obey, i.e., his willingness to comply in order to assist God in His venture to save the universe ( Gen 2 :15- 17b ). And although God doesn’t need man to help Him keep His word, He graciously created man to assist Him and become part of His plan. However, due to Satan’s intervention and mans own free will, man also fell (Gen 3:1-7), thus God had to rearrange His plans for the human race to assist Him by entering His own creation via JESUS CHRIST ( Mic 5:2 ). God is going to keep His Word to the angels ( Dan 10:21 ) with or without man, but He would rather keep it with man’s assistance and demonstrate to the rest of His other free willed creatures throughout His universe the importance of yielding to what’s right. Question: When was the last time you assisted God with your obedience? Your willingness to take God’s Word over your own assists Him in His objective to salvage the universe and put things back the way they were. Now do you see your purpose? Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:13: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty (purpose) of man. Now that you know your purpose (your purpose being to obey God in order to assist Him in salvaging the universe), doesn’t it make you want to obey as much of His Word as you can? Think about it. God has asked us to become co-laborers with Him and to assist Him in His endeavor to put things back the way they were. Had Adam used his free will to obey God instead of disobeying God, the angels would have had their universe back 6,000 years ago. Remember, man was created without sin, yet with a free will that was capable of sinning. Because Adam chose to follow Satan and to disobey God, God had to reorganize His plans for the human race to assist Him in saving the universe. NOTE – The more obedient we are to God’s Word the better we are able to assist Him in His endeavor to put things back the way they were. God’s Word is truly worth our obedience. Just ask the angels. They will have no problem serving us for all eternity future (Heb 1:14) because we assisted God in helping them bring order back to their world. 12:13 One of the sure signs of JESUS’ SECOND COMING is the growing “persecution” of God’s race (the Jews). Lawrence O. Richards in Bible Reader’s Companion notes: The later hostility directed toward her reminds us that anti-Semitism is satanic in origin and that God’s O.T. people remain precious to Him. 3 Does not this refer to the fall of Satan who was once an archangel (Ezk 28:13-15; Isa 14:12-15) and of the angels that fell with him (II Pet 2:4)? Satan was once in Heaven, and, says Dr. Riley, "None other than the archangel Michael was required for his casting down; and , that he exercised wide influence in the celestial world is proven in that his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven after him." 2

13:1-4 There are 37 verses that prophesy about the Antichrist ( beast ) ( Dan 7:8b and Rev 6:1-2 ). 1 The Pulpit Commentary . Vol 22. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 1950 Print. 2 Rice, John R. Revelation . Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Pub. 1977. Print. 3 Richards, Lawrence O. Bible Reader’s Companion , Colorado Springs, CO, Cook Communications, 1991,2004. Print.